Egg cage, incubating, and hatching device



Dec, 23, y1941. l G. T. MARKEY l 2,267,473

EGG CAGE, INcuBATNG, AND HATGHING DEVICE Filed Feb. 25, 1939 MQW, "0 haii@ y K0 N O Dec. 23, 1941.l G. T. M'ARKEY EGG CGE, INCUBATING, AND HATGHING DEVICE F'iledFeb. 25, i959 3 sheetssheet 2 /N VE N TOQ 650mg Z-/VA'RKEY .BY

ATTORNEY Dec. 23, 1941. G. T.MARKEY 2,257,473

EGG' CAGE, :[NCUBATING, AND HATGHING DEVICE Filed Feb. 25, 1939 s sheets-sheet 3 yzo my improved egg holding Patented Dec. 23, 1941 George T. Markey,

`I1`ort.Atkinson,V Wis., assignor to James Manufacturing Company.' Fort Aty kinson, Wis., a company of Wisconsin Application February 25, 1939, serial No. 258.353

' 3 Claims. l (Cl.`11943) The present invention relates to improved means for. incubating and hatching eggs and has `for its objects placing the eggs in incubating trays and leaving them there for say 19 days or until they begin to pip and then placing the eggs in hatching trays.

Another object vof the present invention is to provide novel means whereby the eggs may be moved from the cages of the incubating trays to the hatching trays without handling and in mass and without removing the cages from the trays.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the hatching trays may be positioned in a separate compartment in the cabinet or in a separate cabinet. In either event,

the invention includes means whereby the eggs may be conveniently placed in the cages without removing the cages from the trays and whereby the eggs may be conveniently transferred from the incubating trays to the hatching trays without individually handling the eggs.

Io these and .other useful ends my invention consists of parts, combinations of parts, or their equivalents, and mode of operation, as hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a three quarters isometric side View of my improved egg cage, the swinging bars being in working position.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 except that the swinging bars are moved to the position required for releasing the eggs.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a tray equipped with cages.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the device as illustrated in Figure 5 being sectioned on line 6--6 of Figure 5.

Fig. 7 is a top view illustrating the incubating tray in position in the hatching tray, the preferred position required for moving the eggs to the hatching tray.

Fig. 8 is a transverse line 8-8 of Figure '7. f

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fractional section of the hatching tray and the cabinet illustrating the screen bottom and the eggs in position for hatchsectional view taken on ing.

As thus illustrated, my egg cage in its entirety is designated by reference character A. The inoubating tray having a full complement of egg cages is designated by reference character B.

4 V.I provide anchor rods and secured to` members I2, anchors of a pair being alternately positioned "Member A comprises preferably sheet metal end pieces IUand Il. Iprovidetwo upper rods I2V and I3, their ends being bent inwardly and being secured to members III and II as at I4 by bonding or welding. I

CenterV wire I5 is positioned as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 having `Z shaped end portions Iii-I6, the outer edge being secured to members I0 and II as at I'I-I1. From the bottom of members I0 and II, I provide a centrally positioned cut-away portion as illustrated in Figures ,3 and 4 which terminates into a vertically positioned slot I8, the slot extending to a point near or slightly above the center of gravity when the cage is filled with eggs.

I provide rods 2li-2l] having upturned ends 2I-2I and outwardly extending portions which are journaled in openings 2l! in the end members, thus members 2li are free to swing on the outturned ends as an axis. In Figures 1 and 3 I show members 2l) in their working or normal l position. In Figures 2 and 4, these members .are

shown as swung outwardly for purposes which will hereinafter appear.

Y 23 which are spaced in pairs preferably as illustrated in Figures 1 and-2 I3 and I5, the two and having alternately extended arms 24 and upturned ends 25, the upturned ends being positioned to thereby retain rods 20 against moving outwardly when the cage is iilled` with eggs. In Figure 3 I illustrate by dotted lines` an egg in its normal position in the cage. Thus it will be seen that the egg nds lodgement between rods I5 and 20 and will rest against rod I3 on one side of the cage and I2 on the other side of the cage. Thus it will be seen as illustrated in the figures that rods I2, I3 and I5 are held in spaced relation.

Members23 are adapted to form spaces between which a suitable number of eggs may be nested whereby when the cage is tipped out of level longitudinally, the eggs will not crowd toward the low end of the cage and otherwise slop around in the cage when the cage is moved.

I provide a tray B of any suitable size comprising side and end members as illustrated, the end members being provided with trunnions 30 which project inwardly a short distance and being adapted to support the cages from the top of slots I8. Thus each of the cages will be rotatably supported on the trunnions 30.

I provide an inverted U-shaped member 3l which is slidably mounted over the top of the rear frame bar of the tray and having inwardly turned projections 32. These projections are adapted to rest normally within slot 33 which is cut into the top of end members l and I l thus when member 3| is moved to the right or left, the cages will be rocked on trunnions 30.

Means are provided for supporting the trays in the cabinet drawer-like and for rocking the cages by means of a shaft which extends to the exterior of the cabinet as shown and described in my Patent No. 1,796,872, March 17, 1931.

Figure 6 illustrates a cage in its vertical or central position. In practice, it is the custom to move the cages to an angledposition either to the right or left for a purpose .too wel-l Vknownto require further description.

In my device, the cages are preferably left in the trays permanently and one endof the tray is blocked somewhat higher than the other end and the eggs placed in the cages (see Figure 3) after which Athe tray is placed .in the vincubating cabinet. After say 19-days, or when the eggsbegin to pip, it is desired that they be V.placed in hatching trays. To remove the eggs from the cages and place them in a hatching tray by the old method is somewhat diicult. I .provide means whereby the eggs may be released downwardly in mass from the cages as follows:

Members 25 extend upwardly a short distance and will hold bars '28 from moving outwardly when the cage is filled with eggs. When it is desired to release the eggs into a hatching tray, all that is necessary is to use a hooked wire .and lift members 20 over :the ends of members 125 and to the position illustrated in Figure 4. Thus the eggs will be released. Before releasing,`how ever, `the hatching trays may lbe placed 4on a bench or a screen so the eggs will not be caused to drop more than a mere fraction of an inch.

In the present invention I provide means whereby the -eggs may be moved directly into the hatching tray without handling in Lthe following manner:

In Figures 7 and 8 I illustrate an incubating tray B as being positioned in the hatching tray C. In the preferred form of my invention, I provide hatching trayC having a loose screen bottorn 35. This tray is provided with side and end members 36 and 31 having at their bottoms inturned flanges 3B upon which ithe screen 3'5'normally rests.

When it is desired to transfer eggs from an incubating tray to a yhatching tray, two wood strips 3'9-39 are placed on the top of -the table which, in Figure 8 is illustrated by Areference numeral 40 and the hatching -tray C is then placed over these strips so screen 35 is lifted to the position illustrated Yafter which member B is placed on the screen (see Figure 8). Rods 2D are then lifted over members 25 and theeggs permitted to lie on member 35 after ywhich `tra-y B is removed leaving the eggs on the screen y35. Tray C is then lifted and the screen permitted to rest on flanges 38 after which the trayis 'placed in the cabinet drawer-like.

In Figure 9 I illustrate a fraction of a tray C as positioned in a cabinet, the fraction of the cabinet being designated by numeral 4l. Thus it will be seen that it is a comparatively simple matter to move the eggs from the incubating tray to the hatching tray.

Clearly strips 39 may be high enough so member 35 is Iheld practically at the top of the tray in which case tray C need not be made large enough to receive tray B as illustrated in Figure 8. If it is desired, tray C may be placed on the .table or floor Without the use of strips 39.

Clearly a single cabinet may be -used in which to incubate and hatch the eggs. With my improved method and device either a single cabinet or separate cabinets may be provided for the trays. In either event, the trays are supported in the cabinet drawer-like as is the custom in incubators. The ydevice shown illustrates my preferred manner of incubating, handling and hatching eggs.

Clearly many minor ldetail changes may be made without departing fromthefspirit and scope of my invention as recited in the appended claims.

Having thus shown tion, I claim:

1. An egg cage of the class described, comprising spaced end members rigidly secured together by means of three rods, -one of said rods being positioned adjacent the bottom of said end members `and on the vertical center thereof, the other two rods being spaced a distance above and on opposite sides of the vertical plane -of said single rod, twomovable rods positioned on opposite sides of said single `rod and being normally spaced therefrom Awhereby two lrows `of eggs ymay iind free lodgement and be restrained from outward movement byrsaid other two rods, vsaid two movable rods being hingedly mounted on upwardly extending ends, and spaced transverse members each secured to and `adapted to hold said single and other two rods in spaced r-elation and having extensions with upturned ends adapted to hold said movable rods in normal position but permit the rods to be manually disengaged and swung and described my invenoutwardly whereby the eggs maybe released in mass downwardly.

2. A device as recited in claim 1 including; said end Vmembers having centrally positioned slots extending a distance .upwardly from their bottoms, and said center `rod having its ends offset to thereby clear said slots for the purpose specified. l

3. A device of the class described, comprising an incubating and a hatching tray, the incubating tray having cages and means whereby the eggs in said cages may be released downwardly from th-e cages without handling, and means whereby the bottom in said hatching tray may be raised an-d `said incubating tray placed thereover and the eggs released thereon.

GEORGE T. MARKEY. 

